Crime Stats: Plato calls on SAPS to shape up

Mayor Dan Plato has called on the police to shape up and be honest about their shortcomings following the release of the 2019 crime statistics by Police Minister Bheki Cele in Parliament yesterday.

Cele announced that there has been an increase in violent crime shown in statistics for the 2018/19 financial year.

According to the statistics, there were 21 022 murders, up 686 from the previous financial year. All provinces recorded increases in contact crimes.

Nyanga also remains the murder capital of South Africa.

Plato said the police should stop blaming society for the high crime rate.

“For ten years we have seen the crime rate go up year after year for some of the most serious categories – murder, hijacking and home invasions. These are some of the crimes that residents fear most and they continue to increase with no end in sight.”

Plato also blamed police management for the failure to bring down crime statistics.

“SAPS management have proven that they are not up to the task. The SAPS Crime Intelligence and Detective Services is dysfunctional, and one just needs to look at the broken passenger rail system in Cape Town – 114 train carriages torched over the past three years and not a single prosecution. Nobody has been held accountable for these economy destroying acts.”

The Southern Suburbs Tatler was established in 1979. This long established popular community title includes the key shopping centres Cavendish Square and Kenilworth Centre within its distribution area.